US provider group enters South China Sea amid Taiwan tensions
A U.S. plane provider group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt has entered the South China Sea to advertise “freedom of the seas”, the U.S. army mentioned on Sunday, at a time when tensions between China and Taiwan have raised concern in Washington.
U.S.Indo-Pacific Command mentioned in a press release the strike group entered the South China Sea on Saturday, the identical day Taiwan reported a big incursion of Chinese bombers and fighter jets into its air defence identification zone within the neighborhood of the Pratas Islands.
The U.S. army mentioned the provider strike group was within the South China Sea, a big a part of which is claimed by China, to conduct routine operations “to ensure freedom of the seas, build partnerships that foster maritime security”.
“After sailing through these waters throughout my 30-year career, it’s great to be in the South China Sea again, conducting routine operations, promoting freedom of the seas, and reassuring allies and partners,” Rear Adm. Doug Verissimo, commander of the strike group, was quoted as saying.”
With two-thirds of the world’s commerce travelling via this essential area, it’s critical that we keep our presence and proceed to advertise the rules-based order which has allowed us all to prosper,” Verissimo mentioned within the assertion.
The announcement comes simply days after Joe Biden was sworn in as U.S. president. Biden’s nominee for secretary of state, Antony Blinken, informed his Senate affirmation listening to on Tuesday there was “no doubt” China posed probably the most vital problem to the United States of any nation.
China has repeatedly complained about U.S. Navy ships getting near Chinese-occupied islands within the South China Sea, the place Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan all have competing claims.
The Theodore Roosevelt is being accompanied by the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill, and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Russell and USS John Finn, the U.S. assertion mentioned.
